There are a variety of self-inflatable life preservers known in the art. For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,760 to Blaga, a self-inflatable collar life preserver is provided. The collar has a rigid frame which is used to retain compressed air within the unit. As such, the frame has a size, thickness, and rigidity provided by solid materials which most individuals would find uncomfortable and unsightly for prolonged use.
It is also known in the art to provide self-inflating life preservers such as the life preserver seen in the Cloessing published patent application US 2004/0029466 A1 in which a vest type preserver is provided having the ability to automatically inflate when immersed. While a vest type life preserver is beneficial, a vest type garment is often uncomfortable and is not designed to be worn for long periods of time by children or when the wearer is active at play or sports.
Accordingly, there remains room for improvement and variation within the art with respect to providing a self-inflating life preserver type device which can be worn for long periods of time having a construction suitable for use with small children.